“On July 27, a group of unknown militants—strongly suspected to be affiliated with jihadi groups—killed five park rangers in northern Benin. This comes after a similar attack in June that killed seven people and marks a record total of 171 attacks carried out in 2023 alone by violent extremist groups in the West African country of nearly 14 million. The figure marks a massive increase compared to the 71 incidents reported in 2022, and it would have been inconceivable when the country experienced its first attack in 2019.
“Togo, a country of a little more than 8.5 million people, experienced 14 attacks in 2023, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. These incidents killed a total of 66 people, demonstrating the continuing ability of extremist groups to carry out lethal strikes. Kidnappings by extremist groups in Benin’s north have also surged. …”
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